LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A Louisville barber says he was born with two gifts, cutting hair and cutting tracks.
"I was 11 when I picked up the clippers," J. "Divine" Alexander explained as he worked on a customer's hair in his shop in the basement of an office building off Eastern Parkway. "I have fans that are my clients that enjoy my music."
The 47-year-old barber and rapper pulls his rhymes from real life, using the community and his canvas and music as therapy.
For example: "What if your child was the victim, would you ignore it or would you listen?" They're the lyrics from Alexander's song "Living in a World."
"Ain't no justice, it's just us and that's why change is a must in this system," he says rapping in front of Louisville's Hall of Justice and jail downtown in a music video.
The chorus speaks about living in a world where gunshots go all through the night and everything wrong seems right.
"People in my community we hear that mess all the time, and we want to try to prevent what's going on," Alexander said." It's got to be different, we got to change that."
Alexander raps under the name Divine Cuts and has released three albums since 2019. In that time, Louisville has broken its homicide record twice, faced months of protests after the police killing of Breonna Taylor and dealt with the stress, fear and uncertainty of a pandemic.
"The type of music I make I just want it to be heard," Alexander explained, still lining the head of a 10-year-old client while cover art from his albums hangs on the wall.
Alexander also penned a tune that he calls his ode to Kentucky. The song, "I Like My Bourbon," speaks of the tale of a bourbon aficionado enjoying Pappy Van Winkle and other whiskies.
Alexander says he's not rapping to get rich and famous. In fact, his latest project, dropping on Christmas Eve, is a compilation of prior works called "God's Gift: The Autobiography of Divine Cuts."
It's free on all major music streaming platforms.
Ultimately, the barber brings a message of perseverance, hoping to cut through the pain.
"I want people to continue this fight, continue to keep the faith and continue to win throughout whatever challenges we face," he said.
You can follow J. "Divine Cuts" Alexander on Facebook and Instagram.Â
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